Tag: olives

Spaghetti Puttanesca

This is a classic ‘store cupboard’ recipe from Italy, but only if you have all of the ingredients in the store cupboard. It is a delicious fruity, tangy, carb-rich dish, very comforting and tasty. We used the BBC good food recipe for the basic idea, although we had to go out to get the pitted olives and the anchovy fillets. All of the ingredients are available in our local co-op.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • A pinch of salt
  • 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes or pepperoncini
  • 400g can chopped tomatoes
  • 5 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
  • 120g pitted black olives
  • 2 tbsp capers, drained
  • 300g dried spaghetti
  • ½ small bunch of parsley, finely chopped

METHOD:

  • Heat the oil over a medium-low heat an add the onion along with a generous pinch of salt and fry for 10 mins, or until soft.
  • Add the garlic and chilli and cook for a further minute.
  • Stir the tomatoes, anchovies, olives and capers into the onion, bring to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, for 15 mins, then season to taste.
  • Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Cook the spaghetti following pack instructions, then drain and toss with the sauce and parsley.

Sicillian Rabbit Cacciatore

Another recipe to add to my quest to find good recipes for wild rabbit. This time, my rabbit arrived skinned but whole, so I followed the directions here: https://www.jamieoliver.com/videos/how-to-joint-a-rabbit/ – if the liver is still there, separate the lobes and remove the central gristle as this is a good addition to the stew. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 wild rabbit, jointed, 
  • 1 onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 stick of celery (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp olive oil 
  • a bunch of mint, chopped
  • 350ml wine
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 100g chopped green olives
  • freshly ground black pepper

METHOD:

  • Heat a little oil in the pan, salt and add the rabbit joints, until beginning to brown. Remove and set aside on a plate
  • To the same pan, add more olive oil, with chopped garlic, onion, celery, and fry gently until beginning to brown. 
  • Add the mint, red wine and the rabbit, and the liver if this is available. Bring to a simmer. 
  • As the wine reduces, add the chopped olives, pepper and tomato puree, and bring to a simmer
  • I cook at a low heat in the oven for a couple of hours, at around 140C. 

We had this tonight, with potatoes and steamed broccoli

 

Rabbit cacciatore

I reserve the right to edit this recipe from time to time. I have been testing out a few variations on this theme, and this one is the best so far. It has taken a bit of experimentation and quite a few rabbits. Thanks to those of you who have been supplying me and to those who have butchered them for me. I’ll need to learn how myself one day. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 rabbit, jointed
  • 15g plain flour
  • salt and pepper
  • mustard/rape-seed oil
  • 100g smoked pancetta
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 sticks of celery, diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 1 red chilli, chopped
  • 2 sprigs of rosemary, chopped
  • 200g mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 75ml red wine
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 500ml stock
  • 20 black olives, stoned
  • chopped parsley

METHOD:

  • Preheat the oven to 180C
  • Season the rabbit meat and flour with salt and pepper. Dust the rabbit with the flour.
  • In a large oven-proof pan, heat the oil and fry the rabbit in stages, browning on all sides, and setting this aside when done.
  • In the same pan, add the onions, garlic, carrots, celery, peppers and pancetta and cook slowly until soft. 
  • Add the rosemary, wine and mushrooms and cook for a further five minutes, evaporating off any surplus moisture
  • Mix the stock and tomato paste. 
  • Add the olives and rabbit to the pan, and pour over the stock. Put a lid on the pan and put it in the oven to cook for around an hour. 

Best with mashed or baked potatoes. 

Rabbit risotto with olives

More rabbit recipes. This one is from Risotto Risotto by Valentina Harris. There are some risotto basics that crop up. Adding the ingredients one by one, and letting them cook together allows the flavours to build. Many of the meat risottos involve making a rich stew, and then adding the risotto rice and the stock, bit by bit. 

I allow around 60g risotto rice per serving, and multiply by 3 to get the volume of stock in ml. For example, for 100g rice, use 300ml stock. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 rabbit, jointed and rinsed
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 celery stick, finely chopped
  • 1 large handful of fresh parsley, chopped
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 200g chopped pancetta or streaky bacon
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 glass red wine
  • around 20 small black olives, chopped. 
  • a pinch of dried oregano
  • salt and pepper
  • 400g risotto rice
  • 1.2 litres of chicken or vegetable stock, simmering 

METHOD:

  • Fry the onion, celery, pancetta and parsley in the olive oil over a low heat, until the onion is soft
  • Add the rabbit and brown it all over. 
  • Mix the tomato puree and wine together, and stir it in, with the olives, oregano, salt and pepper. Simmer over a low heat or cook in a low oven for an hour and a half, until the rabbit is really tender. Add stock to ensure that the stew does not stick or dry out. 
  • Let the stew cool, and strip the rabbit meat from the bones. Cut larger sections of meat into pieces the size of a walnut. Return to the stew and bring it back to a simmer
  • Add all of the rice, and stir to coat all the grains. Cook over a gentle heat, and add the stock a ladleful at a time, Make sure the rice absorbs the stock before adding the next ladleful.
  • After about 20 minutes the rice will be cooked. Remove the risotto from the heat, and let it stand for a couple of minutes before serving.